In two pieces

This was one of my favourite decorative items - part of my African scheme which I love. It was on a sideboard and a picture was behind it, only leaning against the wall because I am not finished with painting, so I didn't hang it yet. I was airing the house out, and the draft knocked the picture on my plate which didn't survive the impact :-(
I will try to glue it together and see what happens.

Walking in Batavia

I can't remember if it was last year or already the year before (past two years were very hectic), but it was spring and we went to Batavia again for a walk.

Batavia is a suburb of Chicago, and the oldest city in Kane County. I like that area because of it's river walk. No sign of spring flowers in my neighbourhood yet, so I guess there is still time before I can enjoy the carpet of blue flowers again.

 

 

 

First day of spring

Yes! The spring is officially here. Finally!

What a horrible winter we had. It took toll on our Giant Arbovitae trees which were frostbitten due to the unusually low temperatures this year. I hope they recover from it. We only planted them last year and I should have known better and burlap them. I will definitely do it this year, just in case.

In the meantime I have pulled the book I bought last year off the shelf. It is American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants & Flowers. I decided to get it because there are quite differences and less choice in what I can plant in my garden here in Midwest to what I am used to from Europe, but I am not giving up. Gardening is one of my passions.

I am back...

I have been dealing with some difficult issues particularly past few weeks, and quite frankly wasn't capable of posting on regular basis. The things are getting better, so here I am again, and let's just say I am going to try the famous:

Cheating Cheetahs ?!?!

Are these cheetahs trying to cheat the nature?! That is the only explanation I have to the story I received today in the email from my mother-in-law who lives in South Africa.

Have you ever seen anything like this???

Here is the story:

 
"The Law Of The Wild says kill ONLY when you are hungry.
     
Photographer  Michel Denis-Huot, who captured these amazing pictures on safari in Kenya 's Masai Mara  in October last year, said he was astounded by what he saw:

"These three brothers (cheetahs) have been living together since they left their mother at  bout 18 months old,' he said.
'On the morning we saw them, they seemed not to be hungry, walking quickly but stopping sometimes to play  together.
'At one point, they met a group of impala who ran away. But one youngster was not quick enough and the brothers caught it easily'."

These  extraordinary scenes followed.

 

 

 

 

 

and  then they just walked away without hurting  him.........."

What If...5

"WHAT IF we are coming to resemble our own technology?
Are we thinking and communicating with the speed of the Internet - and ignoring the depth and breadth of what we actually feel? We can get any fact in a nanosecond, but getting wisdom still takes a lifetime (or more!)."


                                                                                                      * reference Shirley MacLaine's book

Meltdown

No, I am not talking about an emotional meltdown, although I was close to one this winter. I am actually celebrating this one - the snow is finally thawing. The pictures are taken from the front door of my house.
We have absolutely lovely plus 5°C (40°F) today! I don't know how long it is going to last but it should even rain tomorrow.The more snow disappears the better because we have nowhere to put it.

I guess we will remember this winter as I already mentioned in my previous post. I have heard a new description of Chicago's weather. It goes like this: "There is 9 months of winter and 3 months of hell in Chicago..." It pretty much describes it.